Josh's car-lot adventure leads to an energy crisis of sorts at the White House, and new press secretary Annabeth Schott (Kristin Chenoweth) must fight off a general impression that she's too young for the job. Meanwhile, Zoey (Elisabeth Moss) throws Charlie a graduation party that he has mixed feelings about; and Leo tells C.J. in no uncertain terms that Bartlet must play chess once a week.

From NBC:

Josh (Bradley Whitford) test drives an oversized SUV and crashes into a hybrid car resulting in bad publicity for The White House. Annabeth (Kristin Chenoweth), the new Press Secretary, has been on the job for only a week and is preparing to face the press corps for the first time. Toby (Richard Schiff) is concerned that she looks too young and may not be prepared for their probing questions.

From Warner Bros.:

Josh test-drives an oversized SUV (sport-utility vehicle) and crashes into a hybrid car resulting in bad publicity for the White House. Annabeth Schott (Kristin Chenoweth), the new press secretary, has been on the job for only a week and is preparing to encounter the press corps for the first time. Toby worries that she looks too young and may not be ready for the corps' probing questions.

But no less impressive is Bradley Whitford, who plays Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman. His chemistry and memorable banter with Janel Moloney, who plays assistant Donna Moss, helped elevate her to a series regular.

"I think what Aaron has written that you don't see often is two people who are, just in their reptilian brain stems, mad for each other, but they have no idea," Whitford says. "It's an interesting dynamic in a relationship that you don't see very often."
- Bradley Whitford

July 22, 2000
Orlando Sentinel

On Nov. 17 [Nov.10] the actress-singer will make her "West Wing" debut in the role of media consultant Annabeth Schott. "Fresh off the political talk show circuit," reads production notes, "Annabeth Schott brings savvy image advice and plucky attitude to her new job as a White House media consultant. Having once discovered Republican foe Taylor Reid, she's tasked with unearthing the next rising star for the Bartlet administration: a new Press Secretary to fill the shoes of C.J. Cregg. In the meantime, she schools Toby on the subtle art of seducing the press, be it with beard trims, non-hostile posturing, or straightforward answers to their questions. In her media consultant role, Annabeth will prep staff for Sunday morning news shows, offer advice on crafting final-year messages, and occasionally step up to the podium to take on the press herself."

Janney said the writers, in coming episodes, downplay the groundbreaking nature of the first woman chief of staff, but she thinks it still will resonate for viewers.

"I've come to realize C.J. is a great role model for women. The fact that she's gotten this great promotion is a wonderful thing to put those positive images out there. Especially in such a traditionally male world as Washington politics."

...

Janney said she prepared for the role by having several conversations with Clinton press secretaries Joe Lockart and Dee Dee Meyers, consultants on the series, who taught her "you have to deliver the truth in doses."

"The most important thing they told me was to have that sense of humor and to charm (reporters) a bit. They are dogs looking for a bone and try to get you to mess up and slip up. It's great to play someone who is so good at what they do."

I don't know whether the company paid for it or how much. All I know is it should have, and even if it did, it didn't pay enough. I refer, of course, to last week's episode of NBC's The West Wing. ...

The world is running out of oil because GM makes a gas guzzler called the "Hummer" that kills little fuel-efficient cars. We should nonetheless all buy shares in ChevronTexaco because Americans love gas guzzlers. Plus, if we try to develop hydrogen fuel cell cars manufactured with Ballard's technology, they will explode like the Hindenburg. The only alternative to the above scenario is for every man, woman, and child in America to immediately sign onto a waiting list to buy a Prius at their nearest Toyota dealer.

That last bit is key. West Wingers mentioned the Prius by name 10 times in the course of one hour of network television. Now, I don't know whether Toyota anted up a product placement fee for this. NBC parent GE probably wanted one, just like Fox wanted, and got, a fee for giving Ford vehicles a prominent role in the past couple seasons of its 24 drama.

But it's quite possible that Toyota paid not a dime for its honorable, and numerous, mentions during the show. Word has it that due to incredible demand -- so great that, yes, people now have to wait in line for the "privilege" of paying a premium to the sticker price to buy the car -- Toyota no longer actively advertises the Prius. Rather, the company allows customer word of mouth, and the innumerable mentions of the car whenever any journalist reports on the hybrid vehicle phenomenon, to advertise the car for free. I strongly suspect that this is what happened on The West Wing. The car mentioned by default when referring to hybrids is not Honda's Insight (too cosmic in appearance) or Civic (too easily confused with the non-hybrid Civic) or Ford's new Escape SUV hybrid (same reason). The Prius, as a normal-looking car available only in hybrid form, gets tapped to play poster child for the whole hybrid movement.